A Welder Uses His Skills to Give Back

There are many ways to give back. And for local business owner Bill Sottile, it’s through his welding.

As owner of Sottile Welding LLC, located on Herman Drive in Simsbury, he created and donated the stand upon which a piece of the World Trade Center sits in the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company’s main house on Hopmeadow Street.

It went on display just before the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Sottile, who also works at Kaman Aerospace, said he has done work for the fire department in the past and when he was asked to create this he was honored.

His business, which is six years old, has left its mark on many places in town in donated and paid efforts. Most , including in Simsbury, display his welding with his lighting work, as well as some part of the kitchen in other Plan Bs.

He and a close associate, Simsbury Precision Products, Inc., where he rents workspace, donated the work to give all police cars gun racks.

This work carried such meaning for him, not only because it honored those lives lost that day, but for a special connection just days before the attacks.

Sottile was asked to play golf at a charity event for a friend in early September 2001. The day of play he met one of his partners, Dave McCourt. They chatted and at one point Sottile took a call from his wife in the club house (he did not have a cell phone). When he returned McCourt inquired to make sure everything was OK. Sottile said his wife had a question about their four-year-old son. McCourt replied that he had a four-year-old daughter. The two discussed their children and kept playing.

On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:50 a.m. he called McCourt and left a message thanking him for a nice day of golf. He was unaware of the events unfolding as the first plane hit at 8:46 a.m.

It was a few hours later that another friend called to tell him that McCourt’ wife, Ruth, and daughter, Juliana, were on the second plane. The four-year-old was the youngest victim of the attacks.

“It was an honor to make this. It’s for Juliana really,” said Sottile.

When the fire department approached Sottile they had an idea of what they wanted. The base was to look like the towers before the destruction and the top to look like it after — that jagged last piece standing.

Simsbury Precision did the machining on the aluminum, said Sottile, and then he went to work finishing the new home for the 40-pound piece of the World Trade Center.

“It’s very rewarding work,” said Sottile, whose regular work can range from a balcony or fenders for a truck to a lock on an ice cream case and a test piece for a space launch.

“Everyday is different,” said the East Granby resident.

There is creativity in what he does and art. He has to problem solve much of the time as well, but he loves it.

He loves helping people and there is a special satisfaction when he donates his time. He made foul poles for the boys and girls little leagues in East Granby and he gets as much from their reactions as anything else.

“They were so grateful,” he said.